South Korean law enforcement officers detain impeached President Yoon

South Korean law enforcement detained impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday, after he briefly imposed martial law last month. Yoon recorded a video address before being taken to the headquarters of the anti-corruption agency, lamenting that “the rule of law in this country has completely collapsed,” but stated he was complying with the detention order to prevent clashes between law enforcement and his presidential guards.

A convoy of black SUVs, some with sirens activated, could be seen leaving the presidential residence under police escort. A vehicle, apparently carrying Yoon, subsequently arrived at the Senior Civil Servant Corruption Investigation Office in nearby Gwacheon City. Yoon's lawyers attempted to persuade investigators not to execute the detention order, stating the president would voluntarily appear for questioning, but the agency refused.

Law enforcement appeared to encounter no significant resistance from the presidential security forces as they approached Yoon’s residence, and there were no immediate reports of clashes. More than a thousand anti-corruption investigators and police may have been involved in the operation to arrest Yoon, who had been holed up at his Hannam-dong residence in Seoul for weeks and vowed to “fight to the end” against efforts to remove him from office. Yoon defended his December 3 declaration of martial law as a legitimate act of governance against a “anti-state” opposition that was using its legislative majority to block his agenda.

The anti-corruption agency is conducting a joint investigation with the police and military to determine if Yoon’s martial law order constituted an attempted rebellion and has sought to detain him after he ignored multiple summons for questioning. They pledged to take stronger measures to detain him after presidential guards blocked their initial effort on January 3. Anti-corruption investigators and police could be seen moving onto the elevated grounds of the presidential compound after a hours-long standoff at the gates. Earlier, police were seen using ladders to climb over several rows of buses placed by presidential guards near the entrance to the compound.

Anti-corruption investigators and police later arrived at a metal gate bearing the gold presidential insignia near Yoon's residential building. Several officers were seen entering a security door to the side of the metal gate, joined by one of Yoon’s lawyers and his chief of staff. Presidential guards then moved a bus and other vehicles that had been used as roadblocks inside the gate. Despite the court issuing an arrest warrant to detain Yoon, presidential guards insisted they had a duty to protect the impeached president and had reinforced the presidential compound with barbed wire and several rows of buses blocking roads.

If investigators successfully detain Yoon, they may seek court approval for a formal arrest. Otherwise, he will be released after 48 hours. As tensions escalated, South Korea’s acting leader, Deputy Prime Minister Choe Sang-mok, issued a statement earlier Wednesday urging law enforcement and presidential guards to ensure that there were no “physical clashes.” The liberal opposition Democratic Party, which spearheaded the legislative effort to impeach Yoon on December 14, issued a statement calling on presidential guards to cease resistance and cooperate with Yoon’s detention.

Lawmakers from Yoon’s People Power Party held rallies near the presidential compound, denouncing the efforts to detain him as illegal. The National Police Agency has held multiple field commander meetings in Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi Province in recent days to plan their detention operation, and the size of the forces has fueled speculation that more than a thousand officers may be deployed in what could be a multi-day operation. The agency and police have publicly warned that presidential guards who obstruct the execution of the arrest warrant could be arrested. Yoon’s lawyers have claimed that the detention order issued by the Seoul Western District Court is invalid.

They cited a law that stipulates that locations that may be related to military secrets cannot be searched without the consent of the person in charge, which in this case is Yoon. The court's detention order for Yoon is valid until January 21. Yoon's supporters and critics held counter-protests near the presidential compound, with one side vowing to protect him and the other calling for his imprisonment, while thousands of police officers in yellow jackets closely monitored the tense situation. On December 3, Yoon declared martial law and deployed troops around the National Assembly.

The martial law lasted only a few hours before lawmakers managed to break through the blockade and vote to rescind the measure. Yoon’s presidential powers were suspended when the opposition-dominated parliament voted to impeach him on December 14, accusing him of rebellion. His fate now rests with the Constitutional Court, which has begun deliberations on whether to formally remove Yoon from office or dismiss the charges and reinstate him. The Constitutional Court held its first formal hearing on the case on Tuesday, but it lasted less than five minutes as Yoon refused to attend. The next hearing is scheduled for Thursday, when the court will continue to hear the case whether Yoon is present or not.